“I still believe farming is my first passion. I love vineyards, maybe even more than winemaking. It’s a joy and a privilege, I think, to be able to work with vineyards, especially if they have a bit of history, if they have a bit of character.”
Having grown up on a grape farm in the Paardeberg, Swartland, Dewaldt has always had an intimate relationship with the vine.
After completing a diploma in Cellar Technology at Elsenburg Agricultural College in 1995, he was appointed viticulturist/assistant winemaker at Rust en Vrede, which greatly influenced his winemaking and viticultural philosophy. In 1999, he took up the position of winemaker at the newly established Avondale, where he gained invaluable experience in successfully establishing a new wine farm, as various accolades attest.
The opportunity to hone these skills presented itself in 2004 in the form of Saronsberg, Tulbagh, where he was appointed general manager/cellar master. This proved to be a winning combination, with Saronsberg performing constantly at the highest level.
Saronsberg has received numerous awards since 2004, its maiden vintage, and produces some of South Africa’s most consistently awarded Shiraz and Rhone-style blends – a testimony to both the region’s and Dewaldt’s affinity for Shiraz. In 2022, Saronsberg received the inaugural Bernard Podladshuk Trophy at the Shiraz SA Challenge, awarded for the best overall performance by a producer over the ten years of the Shiraz Wine Challenge.
Apart from study trips to various wine-growing countries, Dewaldt completed harvests at Dry Creek Vineyards, Sonoma and Domaine Cave Yves Cuilleron, Condrieu. He also obtained his MBA degree cum laude from the Stellenbosch University Business School in 2021. In 2023, after successfully completing 20 years at Saronsberg, Dewaldt joined Iwayini, a subsidiary of Les Grand Chais de France which acquired Neethlingshof and Villiera, as Managing Executive.
100% Shiraz
Wine of Origin Swartland
Made from the final harvest of this ultra-low-yielding dryland vineyard, grown on deep, red clay-rich soils. This wine was matured for 20 months in French oak.
Tasting Notes: Prominent dark fruit, subtle red cherry and delicate violet flavours are followed by undertones of dried herbs. A full-bodied mouthfeel is complemented by firm yet accessible tannin and a long finish.
Ready for drinking by 2030.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
100% Shiraz
Wine of Origin Tulbagh
Tasting Notes: This single-barrel selection exhibits a compote of rich dark fruit, subtle red berry notes and a seductive blend of violets and spice, followed by a firm, ripe tannin structure.
Ready for drinking in 2030.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
75% Shiraz, 15% Mourvèdre, 5% Grenache, 3% Viognier, 2% Roussanne
This single barrel is the result of blending only the best single-barrel selections available in the cellar destined for our acclaimed Full Circle, arguably South Africa’s most consistently awarded Rhône-style blend. No compromise was made for volume, and only the best of the best was used. Aged for 20 months in new French oak and bottle aged for a year, this wine will bring joy for years to come.
Tasting Notes: Combining the most concentrated fruit from our best vineyards gives us greater complexity, a wine of unparalleled richness and concentrated flavours of fynbos, spice and dark fruit.
Ready for drinking in 2030.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
100% Shiraz
The best barrel of Block 27, our Die Erf Shiraz vineyard grown on a mixture of weathered shale soils and broken rock. Hand-picked in the early morning, bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted. During fermentation, the skins were mainly punched-down by hand. After extended maturation, the total time on the skins was 22 days. Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel. Aged for 20 months in a new French Allier oak barrel, the wine was given a fine filtration prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes: The wine has a deep, dark purple colour with prominent ripe plum, dark berry and floral flavours and undertones of spice. The oak is well-balanced with full, firm yet accessible tannin.
Ready for drinking in 2026.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
75% Shiraz, 17% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, 3% Viognier
This single barrel is the result of blending only the best single-barrel selections available in the cellar destined for our acclaimed Full Circle, arguably South Africa’s most consistently awarded Rhône-style blend. No compromise was made for volume, and only the best of the best was used. Aged for 20 months in new French oak and bottle aged for a year, this wine will bring joy for years to come.
Tasting Notes: Combining the most concentrated fruit from our best vineyards gives us greater complexity, a wine of unparalleled richness and concentrated flavours of fynbos, spice and dark fruit.
Ready for drinking from 2028.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
100% Shiraz
Wine of Origin Tulbagh 
The best barrel of Block 27, our Die Erf Shiraz vineyard grown on a mixture of weathered shale soils and broken rock. Handpicked in the early morning, bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted. During fermentation the skins were mainly punched down by hand. After extended maturation, the total time on the skins was 27 days. Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel. Aged for 20 months in a new French Allier oak barrel, the wine was given a fine filtration prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes: The wine has a deep, dark purple colour with prominent ripe plum, dark berry and floral flavours and undertones of spice. The oak is well balanced with full, firm yet accessible tannin.
This wine will be ready for drinking from 2023.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
This single barrel is the result of blending the very best barrels destined for our acclaimed Full Circle blend. No compromise was made for volume, and only the best of the best was used, keeping to the blending percentages of the Full Circle. Aged for 20 months in new French oak and bottle aged for a year, this wine will bring joy for years to come.
Tasting Notes: Combining the most concentrated fruit from our best vineyards gives us greater complexity, a wine of unparalleled richness and concentrated flavours of fynbos, spice and dark fruit.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Two parcels of our best two Shiraz vineyards (block 15 and 27) that showed restrained vigour were subjected to 50% green harvesting, picked by hand, berry sorted and fermented in open fermenters. Fermentation was allowed to start naturally followed by inoculation after one third of alcoholic fermentation was completed. Up to five punch downs were done during the peak of fermentation with temperarures kept below 28°C. Twenty two months of aging in new French oak followed prior to bottling.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
This wine is the best barrel of Block 27, our Die Erf Shiraz vineyard grown on a mixture of weathered shale soils and broken rock. Hand-picked in the early morning, bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted. During fermentation the skins were mainly punched down by hand. After extended maceration, the total time on skins was 27 days. Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel. Aged for 20 months in new 300 litre French Allier oak barrel, the wine was given a fi ne filtration prior to bottling.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
The grapes were hand-picked from low yielding vines in the early morning hours, forcecooled, hand-sorted and transported by gravity to open top fermenters. An average of three day cold-soaks preceded separate fermentation of the various cultivars. Four punchdowns were done per day and one pump-over. After fermentation the wine went through malolactic and was aged for 22 months in new French oak barrels. The best barrel of the various cultivars was selected and one barrel blended. No filtration.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Grapes hand harvested from low yielding vines grown on weathered shale soils were picked in the early morning hours, force-cooled, hand-sorted and transported by gravity to an open top fermenter. A three day cold-soak preceded fermentation which was allowed to start naturally and inoculated half way with D254 yeast. Five punch-downs were done per day. After fermentation the wine went through malolactic fermentation and was aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels. The best barrel of this vineyard was selected.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Hand-picked from our most consistent Shiraz vineyard (block 27), grown on gravelly soils at the foot of the Saronsberg. The grapes were bunch sorted, destemmed (10% kept whole bunch) and berry sorted. Only 60% of the berries were gently crushed into an open fermenter, the remainder kept whole. The must was de-juiced by 12% and given a four-day cold soak. Fermentation was allowed to start naturally, inoculated only after two-thirds of fermentation was completed. The wine was left on the skins for two weeks post-fermentation before being pressed into a new Allier French oak barrel. The wine was left on its lees for 10 months, spending 20 months in total in barrel.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
The grapes were handpicked from low-yielding 20 year old bush vines grown in the Paardeberg, Swartland on east facing, weathered granite soils at 355 metres altitude. Intensive hand sorting was done on 90% of the grapes, while 10% was kept whole bunch. After a five day cold soak, fermentation was initiated. Extraction was done through manual punch-downs of the fermentation cap. Extended maceration on the skins followed fermentation, with a total of 22 days spent on the skins. The wine was then drained into new French oak barrels, where it completed malolactic fermentation. It was racked after 10 months and left for a total of 20 months in barrel. A coarse sheet filtration preceded bottling of the best barrel. Tasting Notes: Dark plum, ripe cherries, subtle spice and violet aromas on the nose are followed by a full-bodied palate with a silky texture and concentrated fruit core.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Harvested by hand, pressed whole-bunch and fermented in a 500-litre French oak barrel with wild yeast. The wine was left on its lees for 10 months, racked and kept in barrel for 14 months. Second-fill oak was used so as not to mask the delicate perfume and fragrance of Viognier. Tasting Notes: Delicate yellow fruit flavours, white peach, subtle spice notes and an understated perfume shows Viognier at its best. The palate shows balanced oak, a full- bodied creaminess and pure fruit expression which captures Saronsberg’s aspiration to showcase Viognier?s elegance and finesse as expressed through wild fermentation and gentle oak use.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
The grapes were hand picked, bunch sorted, de-stemmed and berry sorted on vibration tables. A portion was fermented whole bunch. The mash was left in the fermenter for a 5-day cold soak. Mainly punch downs were used to extract colour and flavour from the skins. After fermentation and extended maceration, the total time on skins was 28 days. The wine was pressed into 100% new French Allier oak barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation. The 12% Grenache was fermented whole bunch. After 12 months the two components were blended together and left in the barrel for a total of 22 months. The wine was bottled unfiltered. Tasting Notes: A fragrant melange of dark fruit, delicate berry and subtle violet flavours with gentle spice aromas that complement on the nose. The palate is silky and full-bodied, packed with concentrated, ripe fruit flavours showing great length and weight.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
The Semillon was hand harvested in the early morning, force cooled to 4 degrees C and then de-stemmed. The mash was allowed to cold soak for 12 hours and was then pressed. The free-run juice was settled, racked and then fermented in barrel at 16 – 18 degrees C until dry. The wine was left on its gross lees for 12 months, racked and returned to barrel and topped with Sauvignon Blanc. After a total of 20 months in a new French oak barrel, the wine was bottled and bottle aged for another 24 months prior to release. Tasting Notes: Subtle lanolin, litchi, delicate floral and lime flavours in combination with integrated oak are supported by a full-bodied and rich palate, structured mouth feel and a fresh finish. This wine is packed in wooden boxes.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Grenache 87%, Shiraz 13% After a challenging growing season, we only harvested 1,3 tons of super concentrated Grenache from 2 hectares of bush-vines. This wine was produced to showcase what this cultivar is capable of. The grapes were force cooled, partially de-stemmed and fermented in an open-top stainless steel tank. After a two-day cold soak, the wine was fermented dry on the skins. During fermentation the cap was manually punched down five times daily. After fermentation the wine was pressed and aged in second-fill French oak barrels for 15 months where it also went through malolactic fermentation. Thirteen percent of Shiraz was blended in to top the barrel. Tasting note: A fragrant melange of violets, raspberry and darker berry fruit flavours with subtle spice aromas fill the nose. The palate is silky and full-bodied, packed with concentrated, ripe fruit flavours showing great length and weight. Best for drinking in 2012.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
This wine, made from handpicked grapes from low-yielding vineyards (28hl/ha) growing on sparse shale soils, epitomises Saronsberg’s passion for Shiraz. The grapes were bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted on vibration tables. Seventy percent of the berries were gently crushed into satellite tanks and deposited in the fermentors for a four-day cold soak. During fermentation the skins were mainly punched down by hand, with the total time on skins being 19 days. The wine was then pressed into 100% new French Allier barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation. After a total of 18 months in barrel the wine was racked and given a coarse sheet filtration prior to bottling. Tasting note: This Shiraz shows an intense colour with dark fruit, fynbos and spicy flavours. The palate is full bodied with floral notes and oak spice. The tannins are well structured with a long finish.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Winemaking Notes This Shiraz / Viognier blend is a collaboration between the Heyns family and Saronsberg. The grapes were hand-picked, bunch-sorted, destemmed and berry-sorted on vibration tables. A portion of 12% was kept whole bunch. The mash was left in the fermenters for a five-day cold soak. Including fermentation and extended maceration the total time on the skins was 17 days. The wine was then pressed into 100% new 300 litre French Allier oak barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation. The Viognier was pressed whole bunch, settled and fermented in barrel separately from the Shiraz to preserve its delicate floral flavours. After 12 months the two portions were blended and left in barrel for a total of 18 months. A coarse sheet-filter preceded bottling. Tasting Notes The Shiraz (92%) Viognier (8%) blend has a bright red colour with prominent red berry and plum flavours with violets and spice undertones. The palate is full bodied, showing structured elegant tannins.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
Winemaking Notes The Viognier grapes were hand picked from low-yielding (30hl/ha) vines, pressed whole bunch and settled. The juice was racked to a new French Allier oak barrel and allowed to ferment with natural yeast for a period of three weeks at 17 – 21 °C. After fermentation, the wine received a low sulphur addition and was left on its fermentation lees for 14 months. It was racked and bottled unfiltered. Tasting Notes The Viognier shows a pale straw colour with orange blossom, peach and spicy flavours. The palate is full bodied with integrated oak flavours and a mineral finish.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
This Shiraz (92%), Viognier (8%) blend is a collaboration between the Heyns family and Saronsberg. The grapes were handpicked, bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted on vibration tables. A portion of 12% was kept whole bunch. The mash was left in the fermenters for a 5 day cold soak. After fermentation and extended maceration the total time on the skins was 17 days. The wine was then pressed into 100% new 300 Litre French Allier oak barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation. The Viognier was pressed whole bunch, settled and fermented in barrel separately from the Shiraz to preserve its delicate floral flavours. After 12 months the two portions were blended and left in barrel for a total of 18 months. A coarse sheet filter preceded bottling.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
This single barrel selection from low yielding vineyards (30hl/ha) that grow on sparse shale soils epitomises Saronsberg’s passion for Shiraz. The grapes were hand picked, bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted on vibration tables. The berries were gently crushed into a satellite tank and deposited in the fermenters for a cold soak of 4 days. During fermentation the skins were mainly punched down by hand with the total time on the skins being 15 days. The wine was then pressed into 100% new 300 Litre French Allier oak barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation. After a total of 18 months in barrel the wine was given a light egg white fining and filtered through a coarse sheet filter prior to bottling. Tasting note: The Shiraz shows an intense colour with dark fruit, fynbos and spicy flavours. The palate is full bodied with hints of violets and oak spice. The tannins are well structured with an elegant dry finish.
Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns
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